England vs. Australia 2015 2nd Test Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The toss of the coin is vital for test match cricket and can often be a main reason as to why those who win it go on to control the outcome. Australian captain Clarke secured the coin toss victory and decided to bat. At which English Cricket ground did the 'Baggy Greens' start the Second Test like they meant business?

Answer: Lords

Winning the toss was just about the only excuse England fans could offer in case of defeat. The impending doom became reality when Australia smashed the England pace attack all over the ground. Both captains claimed that they would have batted on a batter's paradise -- a dead pitch, lack of pace and no turn.

2. If England were going to get started and dismantle the Australian top order they needed to take their chances. With the Aussies nicely motoring at no wicket for 78 runs, England struck for the only wicket they would take for the entire day. Which England bowler took the wicket of Warner?

Answer: Moeen

Moeen managed to get the first wicket when Australia was motoring along nicely, Jimmy Anderson snaffled the wicket of Warner with a simple catch. The problem for England now was how to remove the top order that was about to unleash the best batsmen in the world, Steve Smith.

3. England were made to suffer -- at the close of day one Australia had smashed an impressive 337 runs for the loss of just one wicket. Which two batsmen scored 158 and 129 respectively?

Answer: Rogers and Smith

A massive total accrued by the end of day one saw both Rogers and Smith play some scintillating cricket. No matter how hard the England bowling attack tried they were given absolutely nothing by the second wicket pair. In particular Rogers, who was very familiar with the ground where he smashed this magnificent century having spent three years playing for Middlesex CCC. Smith looked hungry for runs and enjoyed wrecking both Broad and Anderson's figures with great aplomb. This was only the second time just one wicket fell on the opening day of a test at Lord's (the previous was in 1974 when England made 1-334 against India).

4. Day two saw Australia smash England all over the ground whilst the occasional wicket fell. By the tea interval Australia had accumulated a superb 8-566 declared. When England came to bat it was a totally different story. Within the space of 30 minutes play Joe Root was on his way to the pavilion after being dismissed for one run. What was the England score at this point?

Answer: 4-30

The England response was pathetic beyond words in the eyes of the home fan and typical of recent times from the Aussie perspective. Lyth was caught behind by Nevill off the bowling of Starc second ball and things got progressively worse for England when Ballance went for 23 runs and England were 2-28 thanks to a superb ball from Johnson.

It soon became 3-29 when Bell was bowled by Hazelwood with a real jaffer followed unbelievably by the First Test hero Root after scoring one run when caught behind by Nevill off the bowling of Johnson again, 4-30, quite truly a devastating period of bowling by the visiting team.

5. By the end of day two England were in a mess. Both Stokes and Cook managed to prevent any further losses. However, day three was no better with England failing to avoid the follow on target of 366; by scoring how many?

Answer: 312

It seemed a small miracle that England recovered from 4-30 to be all out for 312. Hope was still there for the host side just as long as they could bowl out Australia cheaply, but this was never going to be the case once Lyth dropped Warner on zero and the openers just piled on the runs.

6. Australian captain Clarke chose not to enforce the follow on and set about creating a near impossible target for England to chase by adding 108 runs to their already huge lead. At the start of day four however, one of his players retired hurt for 'dizziness'. Who was it?

Answer: Rogers

On day one Rogers had been hit on the head by a Jimmy Anderson bouncer. After suffering concussion on the recent Caribbean tour, Rogers complained of 'dizziness' and had to retire hurt. The fact that he had batted for the best part of nearly two days and scored many runs may have been an excuse to help England out.

However, after the awful scenes in the latter part of 2014 when Phil Hughes was tragically taken by a bouncer and passed away days later, it would appear no one wanted to take any chances of repeating that black day in cricket. For Australia precaution was helped by the huge score they were on course to set England.

7. Australia declared their second innings at 2-254 and set England a score of 508 to win in five sessions of cricket. The English, however, got off to an appalling start when after just 36.5 overs they were all out for a paltry 103 runs. By how many runs had Australia secured the third biggest victory in Ashes history?

Answer: 405

Only on two occasions in an Ashes test match had this huge victory ever been bettered:

562 at The Oval, 1934
409 at Lord's, 1948

For England fans it was "an absolute disgrace". For Australian fans it was a series leveller but also a humbling thumping of their dearest foe.

8. Steve Smith scored 215 in the first innings and then 58 in the second innings to set Australia up for this fine victory. But which Australian bowler took the best match figures of 6-80?

Answer: Johnson

All the Australian bowlers helped dismantle the twenty wickets required. Johnson took match figures of 6-80, Starc took 2-102, Lyon 3-80, Hazelwood 5-83, Marsh 3-31 and there was one run out. Impressive bowling indeed but some of the shots offered by England batsmen were beyond the level of pub cricket.

9. England captain Alistair Cook was embarrassed by the manner of their defeat, but what unfortunate incident happened when he was on 96 in England's first innings?

Answer: A loose delivery was played on to his stumps by his bat

At 96 not out and course for his 28th test hundred, Cook had looked comfortable and set for a big score when the curse of the commentator struck. Former England captain Geoffrey Boycott whilst talking on Test Match Special stated to his fellow commentator that "he will do it in a minute" when it was made clear he had never scored an Ashes hundred on English soil (despite scoring four centuries on Aussie soil).

The very next ball came in and Cook played on to his stumps...

10. Peter Nevill had replaced Brad Haddin from the first test behind the stumps and produced a strong performace with the gloves. How many catches did he make, a record for an Ashes debutant in England?

Answer: 7

Brad Haddin had not had the best of times behind the stumps in the first test and it was decided to play Nevill after some personal issues had prevented Haddin from playing. After taking a catch in only his second delivery faced, Nevill snapped up a further six dismissals in a display of exceptional glove work.

It would be hard to see Haddin back behind the timbers based on this performance.

Source: Author doomed

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Ashes hit the ground running just one week after the first test had finished. What can you recall from this pivotal test.

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